Hold My Drink, Watch This
The "Hold My Drink, Watch This" guy generally chooses, without needing any convincing words from his friends, to jump in that one hole that everyone (including the guy with a 5-foot lift, snorkels that could reach the clouds and a set of 50-inch jeep tires) would not even think about touching. The results encountered from this impulsive style of decision making most often yield the most extreme cases of "swamped" than any of the others. Our friend and professional cell phone photographer, Brad Gehringer, caught this nightmare in the making. Let's just say the driver of this Browning Ranger better be thankful that a diehard group of swamp fanatics were close by when he decided to take the plunge and were willing to extend their excavation services. After countless attempts with a winch, several yanks with the towrope, exhausting amounts of rocking and jolting, and several strenuous hours of hard labor, it was just barely enough to break this beast free. I'm just wondering if he ever got his drink back...
It Happens To All Of Us
Everyone, including those who are highly experienced and properly equipped for traversing mud, will at some point become a victim to that helpless and embarrassing feeling that results from drowning their ride. This is exactly what happened to experienced mud veteran and Yamaha Rhino owner Brian Hickman. Setting out for a little soggy fun in the bog, Brian never expected that his well-equipped Rhino, which sported the proper mud components such as a lift, a snorkel system, high-performance clutch work and a beefy set of treads, would find itself in a "swamped" scenario. Luckily for those who get "swamped" in a well-populated area of mudders, you'll always discover plenty of good people to help you yank it out. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts at breaking his Rhino free by rocking the boat, out came the perfect solution: a tow strap. After a few swift snags with the tow strap, Brian was on his way and no damage was done.
Five Swamped Survival Tips 1. For starters, be prepared! If you jump in without a winch while sporting a set of bald stock tires, we'll help, but not before we get in some good laughs at the expense of your ego.
2. Never closely follow the "Hold My Drink, Watch This" guy. Allow him to lead as you patiently study his lines. If he makes it, you'll likely make it as well.
3. A little body English, four-wheel-drive and a touch of diff-lock can often be the proper ingredients for conquering near "swamped" situations.
4. If you find yourself stuck, do not hold the throttle wide open, as you'll only dig yourself deeper and increase the level of effort required to get your quad out.
5. Wise people ride with a friend. If you sink it deep when no one else is around, you'll have no choice but to hike it back to the truck on foot.
Send Us Your Swamped Stories
If you've encountered and survived an extreme, dramatic, helpless or even embarrassing "swamped" experience, we want to hear about it. Email your "swamped" story and photos to
atvrider@sorc.com.